Frequently Asked Questions

What is hydrogenated oil?

Oils are hydrogenated to prolong the life of the oil at high heat.  In general the more solid the oil is the more hydrogenated the oil is.  When oils are hydrogenated the healthy fats in oils are turned into Trans fats which are not good for one’s health. Trans fats increase bad cholesterol and decrease ones good cholesterol.  Hydrogenated oils are also harder for the body to break down and bioaccumulate within the body.  This is why cities such as New York have begun to ban restaurants from using Trans fat oils.

What are the pros and cons of genetically engineered foods?

Pros

• Genetically engineered foods are genetically changed to give the food a certain gene to enable the product to fight off pests or even grow in areas they typically would not. This allows these products to be more cost efficient and abundant.
• Because the crops are already pest resistant genetically engineered crops need less chemicals and pesticides than regular crops offering a healthier crop.
• In theory genetically engineered crops can help to fight against world hunger by increasing the world’s supply of crops.

Cons

• Genetically engineered food is a relatively new idea and it is too early for us to tell how the human body may react to these crops.  Altering the genetics may also alter other dynamics of the food that we are not yet aware of causing unknown symptoms to the body in the long run.
• Poor countries will not have direct access to genetically engineered food and will need to be given to them by rich countries that have the means to produce this food.

What is the healthiest oil to use for cooking?

The healthiest oil to use is one that has primarily monounsaturated fats, and is low in saturated fats.  Many doctors believe that the healthiest oil to cook with is Canola oil, and also Peanut oil.  Olive oils are also considered by some to be the healthiest because they provide a mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, giving the oil a healthy balance of good fats.  When looking for healthy oil it is always good to look for oils that are minimally processed as well, the more processed the oil generally the unhealthier the oil is.

How can I judge the quality of olive oil?

The best olive oils tend to come from olives that are hand picked and cold pressed.  The highest quality press is the first press, which is known as Extra Virgin.  Hand picked olives allows for their not to be any bad olives in the bunch.  If the olives are picked by machine there is more of a chance bad olives and stems can get mixed into the press.  The oil should not be cloudy (unless the weather is cold) and should have an even smell and color.